all stories are love stories
by Xiao Leonhart
Summary: A three-part fic set in Vincent's pre-Turk days, exploring a little of his earlier life, his reasons for joining Shinra and twenty-four hours he'll never forget. *part 2 up- 30/5/02*
1. all stories are love stores- part 1

all stories are love stories

**Xiao: Something a little different. . . I was just getting sick of the whole emotionless Vincent thing, and figured that he couldn't have always been like that, ne? (And he is the second hottest guy EVER! *sigh*) This is, um, a change from the rest of my writing. . . sadly predictable, but I kinda like it. Oh, and the title, though it may sound dodgy, is from something in the second part. It'll all become clear. . . o_O Enjoy!**

** **

**all stories are love stories**

**_all my life I worshipped her _**

**_her golden voice her beauty's beat _**

**_how she made us feel _**

**_how she made me real _**

**_and the ground beneath her feet_**

"ground beneath her feet"  u2

** **

**(~*~)**

** **

Dim lights, loud music and smoke. There were a hundred other venues like it, which was good. Nobody could watch them all.

** **

**Yeah, well, he was telling Takimoto he was here on business- casing the joint, checking the place out to see whether it would be useful for future deals. And the answer was yes. It wasn't controlled by any of the major gangs, it didn't have a huge drug dealership, it was relatively well-established. No problems. Job done. So tonight Vincent Valentine was getting paid to knock back a few and relax a little.**

** **

**Vincent was in a corner of the room near the door, with a few of Takimoto's regulars. Not Vincent's type of people. Sure, they got paid a little more for their loyalty, but they were a _group_. People linked them mentally to anything their boss did. Jiro Takimoto? Instant connection. Mac, Ryu, Leong, Harding. Want to get back at Takimoto? Those are the guys you frame, discredit, ice with a blade in the back or a shot to the head. No. Better to be a mercenary, a drifter. Better still to be a drifter with a reputation. A brilliant marksman who spoke little and smiled less. But for now, he was one of the gang and could act accordingly.**

** **

**Harding, a big black Corel guy with an eye for the ladies, was spinning some chick a few lines at the bar. Mac, who had been turned down rather unconditionally by the same girl about half an hour before, was sulking at the end of the table. And Leong was trying to talk to him. He was all right, Leong. **

** **

**"Been busy?"**

** **

**"Yeah. The Lawmakers do that."**

** **

**"Bunch of fuckwits."**

** **

**"I hear you."**

** **

**"Anyway, I gotta feeling they won't be bothering us any time soon. Specially not now that Ray's dead."**

** **

**"Ray Cassidy?"**

** **

**Leong grinned. "Took him out myself. The Lawmakers are screwed now, anyway. Without their boss they're just gonna fight over shit until they tear themselves apart or get wiped by another gang." This news didn't seem to bother the gunman in the slightest. He seemed pleased, if anything. Vincent wondered what Leong had to gain from the downfall of the once powerful criminal organisation.**

** **

**"Anyway, Vince, there's- "**

** **

**Vincent wasn't listening. His attention had been attracted by the swing of the door, the blast of cold air from outside- and then caught and held firmly by the person who entered.**

** **

**She was attractive, all right, figure to match although a little on the lean side. Her black jacket hung loose around her shoulders, her blue-black hair held what little light there was. She wore slacks, not a skirt. Her face was striking in and of itself, pale skin and high cheekbones, but a long scar from the corner of her right eye down her cheek prevented her from looking unnaturally perfect.**

** **

**Wow.**

** **

**She scanned the room, looking for a seat, and a few guys who had been staring like idiots glanced away hurriedly. Vincent didn't. She met his gaze with a smile and immediately made her way through the clutter of tables towards him. Ah, why not, he hadn't played this game in a while.**

** **

**Leong got the message, suddenly remembering a pressing engagement on the other side of the room. He was all right, Leong. The girl took the seat next to Vincent like she'd been invited, like they were old friends.**

** **

**"Valentine."**

** **

**Well, that eliminated the need for pick up lines. Not that he used them, of course. "Do I know you?"**

** **

**She shrugged, gracefully. "You're well known."**

** **

**He was immediately on guard, although he didn't show it. After all, she could be anyone. A spy, a Lawmaker hired gun. "I would have remembered you if I did know you."**

** **

**"I'm Akira." **

** **

**Yeah, he'd thought she looked Wutainese. "Can I get you a drink?"**

** **

**"Sure, whatever you're having."**

** **

**He called for another two shots of sake."Where you from?"**

** **

**"Originally, Wutai. Now, Sector 4."**

** **

**Vincent was surprised. Not many people actually chose to live in the slums, and anyone with the cash to move from Wutai to Midgar. . . "Why'd you leave?"**

** **

**She raised an eyebrow. "I felt like it."**

** **

**"Sorry, that was kind of a personal question."**

** **

**"That's okay."**

** **

**The barman slid Vincent the drinks he'd ordered. The dark-haired gunman pulled out a few gil and dropped it on the counter, returning his attention to his companion. Hmm. Much more interesting.**

** **

**Akira lifted the glass, knocked back the entire contents and flicked her hair away from her face with a shake of the head. "This is excellent. I should come here more often."**

** **

**"Sounds good to me."**

** **

**Talking to her was easy. No awkward silences. She was animated, she talked with her hands, a smile was never far from her lips. But she always steered smoothly away from any questions about her past or her current occupation, and Vincent was happy to do likewise.**

** **

**"So you know this area pretty well?"**

** **

**"Yeah, I live around here, actually," Vincent replied. Casually.**

** **

**Akira shot him a glance, looked like she was about to reply-**

** **

**Gunfire.**

** **

**Instinct took over. Vincent dropped and crouched behind a nearby table, hand reaching for the Glock in his inside pocket. Keeping his peripheral vision on high beam and his trigger finger poised to fire, Vincent scanned the room.**

** **

**A few other guys had dropped to escape the shots. He could see Harding's new girlfriend huddled behind the pool table. But from his awkward position he couldn't make out the gunman or the target. And where the hell was Akira?**

** **

**The music still blared, but from outside came the crunch of wheels on gravel, followed by heavy doors slamming shut. This was obviously organised. Vincent heard footsteps, and the door swinging open. Then the lights went out.**

** **

**By the intermittent light of the flashing neon sign over the bar, Vincent made out three figures at the entrance. He didn't recognise any of them. Then again, the light was so bad that the lead man could be Takimoto himself and Vincent wouldn't-**

** **

**A hand from behind grabbed his gun.**

** **

**Caught flat-footed. He was on his knees, so he couldn't kick, the gun itself was pointing outwards and he couldn't even fucking _see_ his attacker. Stupid, just plain amateur stupid. He tried to twist his Glock out of his assailant's grasp or failing that, to turn around and elbow the guy in the face.**

** **

**"Valentine!"**

** **

**". . . Akira?"**

** **

**"You know what's going on?"**

** **

**"I can guess. The Lawmakers."**

** **

**From the other side of the room came a sudden scuffle of movement, followed by the unmistakeable flesh-on-flesh sound of a blow and a cry of pain, cut abruptly short.**

** **

**That had almost sounded like Ryu. . .**

** **

**"Can't see a damn thing," Akira murmured. "Someone's gotta get the lights on. But it's pretty exposed up there, no cover. These guys are smart."**

** **

**Vincent shook his head, then realised she probably couldn't see him. "No. If the lights go on they'll be confused for a few seconds, taken by surprise. Enough time to take cover again." His mind called up a mental plan of the bar, searching for escape routes, protected corners, places where he could get a clear shot at wide areas of the room. Now that the indecision of hiding in darkness had been replaced with the certainty of action, he was operating on high speed, feeling the familiar pre-battle rush. He loved his work. **

** **

**Akira produced a small pistol of her own, apparently out of nowhere. Vincent recognised it, a nice piece of work more commonly known as the Peacemaker, made in Junon if his memory served him correctly. Vincent preferred the higher calibre weapons himself. Then again, he had Takimoto to provide him with whatever he needed, whereas she probably didn't have the cash for- He realised his mind was wandering and cursed mentally. He preferred operating alone.**

** **

**Akira quickly checked her weapon and nodded. She was ready. Slowly and silently Vincent stood and began making his way towards the door. As the neon sign flashed on again Vincent dropped, followed closely and just as quietly by Akira. She was obviously more than just another street thug, it was evident in every movement of her body.Making almost no noise as she crept close to the wall, she held her gun one-handed, lips drawn back in what could only loosely be called a smile.**

** **

**There were voices, now, at the other end of the room. Vincent tried to move faster. Just when he though the Lawmakers were sure to have seen them, he reached the edge of the door and ran his fingers down the frame, searching for the switch.There. He almost flipped it straight away, but remembered to tap Akira on the shoulder. "Ready?"**

** **

**"Yeah."**

** **

**"Go."**

** **

**(~*~)**

** **

**As Vincent had predicted, the Lawmaker thugs were taken completely off-guard by the sudden light in their formerly secure hiding place. As he ducked behind one of the benches he had a split second to take the scene in. Mac and Harding were slumped against the back wall and didn't look like they'd be getting up again. Harding's new girlfriend was one of the eight or so Lawmakers standing in the middle of the room. Ryu was on the floor bleeding from the nose and what could have been a stab wound in his chest. Leong was nowhere in sight.**

** **

**A flurry of bullets chipped plaster and splintered wood over a metre from where Vincent's head had been about five seconds before. Not good enough, guys. Vincent returned the favour, hearing Akira do the same from somewhere over to his right. Harding's traitorous girlfriend took a shot to the stomach and went down with a scream. His Glock barked twice more, his first shot missing a heavy-set bald man by a hair but the second thudding squarely into his chest.**

** **

**By now the few remaining Lawmakers had wised up and were taking cover as best they could, occasionally straightening a little to return a few shots. One of them was over-eager, took a second too long to regain cover. Last mistake he ever made. **

** **

**Without warning a red-haired woman in a cutoff leather jacket stood up, dragging one of the bar girls with her, and flourished the handgun she had pressed against the other woman's temple. Drawing the younger girl in front of her like a shield, she started barking orders. "You, in the corner- drop your weapons and stand up. Now."**

** **

**Vincent's hand tightened around his Glock, but he didn't move. He was fairly confident he could hit the armed woman without harming the girl, but he'd have to leave cover if he wanted to fire and he wasn't about to trust his life to a chance that his opponent wouldn't be concentrating.**

** **

**The redhead fired two shots into the ceiling and the barmaid almost collapsed. "I'm not playing around, get up."**

** **

**From the corner of his eye Vincent noticed a movement from Akira's direction. What the hell was she doing? Standing, but the woman and her buddies hadn't opened fire. He heard her voice say, "Maria-"**

** **

**From behind the bar, Leong stood and calmly shot Maria in the head, leaving her hostage completely unharmed. His high-calibre H&K shell tore easily through her skull, her gun sliding from nerveless fingers as she collapsed. The girl screamed when she heard the shot but had the presence of mind to hit the floor as the other gang members returned fire. A row of bottles above Leong's head exploded into fragments and he dived back into safety, swearing loudly. Vincent fired off a few rounds, gritting his teeth as a bullet whistled past his head, then ducked back behind the bench to reload.**

** **

**Fitting a fresh clip of bullets into his Glock, he was just in time to catch one of his attackers on the shoulder as Leong took the last one out of action. The noise of sirens became audible above the gunfire. Vincent didn't particularly want to be around when the cops showed up to explain the mess. Time to leave.**

** **

**Now that the firefight was over a few customers were coming cautiously out from whatever hiding place they'd managed to find. Leong, bleeding freely from a head wound caused by the broken glass, appeared from behind the bar, gun still raised. "We'll take the back door."**

** **

**In silence, Vincent followed him through the wreckage of the bar. Ryu was dead, Mac and Harding were dead. Akira was nowhere in sight. He wasn't surprised.**

** **

**(~*~)**

** **

**"Ah, shit. . ."**

** **

**Leong climbed into the front passenger seat of his car, leaving a bloody handprint on the pale leather upholstery. "You drive." He fumbled in his pocket for his keys.**

** **

**Vincent shrugged and started the car, looking at Leong with concern. "You all right?"**

** **

**"I'll live." He closed his eyes. "Guess I'm luckier than them. . . heh. If you call this luck." He smiled, a bitter twist of his lips that looked strange on his pale blood-streaked face. "They were after me, ya know."**

** **

**"Yeah?"**

** **

**"They wanted me 'cos I iced Cassidy. Yeah, they wanted me dead, the others were just a bonus. And now they're gone, and I walked outta there. Funny." He shot a glance at Vincent, whose eyes were on the road. "So that chick took you for a ride, huh?"**

** **

**"She was working for them. I should have known. She was too good for an amateur." **

** **

**"We have to talk to Takimoto, let him know- he'll have to hire some new guys in a hurry." Leong sighed and absently re-holstered his gun. "I doubt the Lawmakers are finished with us yet."**

** **

**(~*~)**

** **

**Leong had gone to Takimoto's "office" to get his head patched up and break the bad news about the rest of his posse. Vincent knew Takimoto wouldn't blame anyone for the shootout- there was no way anyone could have known about the Lawmakers' plans, and despite being outnumbered and outgunned Leong and Vincent had come out alive and victorious. He was fair to those who were loyal, ruthless to those who betrayed him. He placed no value on the lives of his assassins, he was just aware of the fact that their deaths cost money and wasted time. So he protected them as best he could. A coldly logical man, was Takimoto. Suited Vincent fine.**

** **

**His bosses paid Vincent well for his assistance. But since it wasn't exactly a legal profession, Vincent was careful never to live beyond his means or attract too much attention to himself. His apartment was one of several small, unremarkable rooms in a small and unremarkable building, furnished in a simple, austere Wutainese style of the late Whatever period. Who cared what it was called, it was practical and he liked it. The landlord was a friendly guy who thought Vincent was a law student and occasionally enquired as to how his studies were going.**

** **

**He wondered absently if he should have gone with Leong to Takimoto's. Vincent's status wasn't as high as the other gunmen, being a mercenary and all. But Leong had looked pretty cut up, not to mention bitter and angry over the deaths of his friends, and Vincent wasn't sure whether he'd rather be alone or needed someone to talk to. He'd never been much good at that stuff. Sympathy and empathy. Complicated things, they were. He preferred the solid feel of metal in his hand, a target, an objective, action and reaction. People died who needed to die, and it was over.**

** **

**Like this thing with Akira. To him, she'd seemed perfectly sincere. He remembered the way she'd smiled, laughed, looked into his eyes. She'd chosen him out of everyone in a crowded room and he'd felt almost flattered. Then she'd left cover and called his attacker by name, afraid for her own skin. She was a brilliant actress. Figures, though, the only girl to really catch his eye in about a year happened to be the one who was trying to kill him. Heh, just his luck, right?**

** **

**Vincent suddenly felt overwhelmingly tired as the adrenaline in his system finally dissipated, leaving him with nothing to fall back on. He'd overspent his energy in the long firefight, it was late as hell, and he'd probably have to report to Takimoto in the morning. Wisest to launch a pre-emptive counter strike, get rid of the rest of the Lawmakers before they had time to fight back. Yeah, that would be smart. He'd mention it to Takimoto later.**

** **

**Shaking his head to clear the fog, he pulled out the rubber tie that caught his hair back, leaving it to fall like shadows in soft waves around his shoulders. He shucked his black coat and kicked off his boots, leaving the laces tied. His sister had always hated that, so now he did it as often as possible. Sort of like making up for lost time. A smile on his lips, he dropped onto his unmade bed and let the darkness take him.**

** **

**(~*~)**

** **

**He didn't open his eyes again until ten thirty the next morning, awoken by the static-filled sound of a radio next door screaming some ancient rock song. Vincent cursed, brushed the hair out of his eyes and yawned. About time to get moving, anyway.**

** **

**He took a shower, changed into some relatively clean clothes and made a cup of coffee- he only had instant, but he'd have to live with that. Grabbing his car keys from the bench, he stepped out the door while sliding his shades into place. Not that he was really going to need them. As he left the apartment building he saw ominous storm clouds overhead, dark purple and angry, rolling slowly towards the east. Precious little sunlight got down here anyway, what with the polluted air and the shadows cast by skyscrapers on the plate. This sector was always dark. All the slums were dark, not to mention dirty, fitting for a place filled with the refuse of humanity. Maybe after Takimoto had finished with him he'd get out, move to Junon or something. He had the cash.**

** **

**Or maybe this place suited him.**

** **

**He started his car- Takimoto's, really. Another incentive to stay loyal- and pulled out of the side street, turning on the radio and swearing as a guy on a bike zoomed out from around the corner and across the road without a glance in Vincent's direction. Vincent braked, but the guy had the audacity to flip him the bird as he pedalled out of sight.**

** **

**Everyone was acting crazy today, for some reason. A girl in a beat-up convertible was talking happily on her PHS and went straight through a red light, almost killing a few people crossing the street. Later, as Vincent was approaching Takimoto's, a black BMW kept trying to run up his ass. Vincent slowed down. They could pass if they wanted, he was early anyway.**

** **

**The BMW slowed to match his speed.**

** **

**Vincent's eyes narrowed. He hadn't been watching the cars behind him that carefully, so he had no idea how long the BMW had been there. He pulled into a back street, then another, until he was heading in the opposite direction and back the way he had come.**

** **

**The other car was still following him.**

** **

**Vincent kept going in the wrong direction. He wasn't about to lead them straight to Takimoto. He pulled his Glock out of the pocket of his trenchcoat and checked the clip. Full, and he had spares. He figured he was going to need them.**

** **

**By now the thugs in the BMW would have picked up the fact that Vincent was leading them on. He sped up, heading for the main street, and saw the other car do the same. He hadn't been careful enough, obviously. He remembered Lee telling him that was a mistake you only get a chance to make once. Well, he was going to prove her wrong.**

** **

**Narrowly missing the corner of a building as he wrenched the car around in a sharp turn, he wondered distractedly why they weren't shooting at him yet. Maybe they had orders to take him alive. The thought sent chills down his spine. He hit the accelerator still harder, using the brake sparingly. If there was a chance in hell that he could still outrun them, he was going to go for it. Or take his chances in hell.**

** **

**Light up ahead. Main Street. Seeing that their quarry might still escape them, the men in the other car started firing. Although Vincent was dodging and weaving as best he could in the narrow street, he heard the back tail light smash and several more shells dent the bumper and trunk. Chips of flying brick and mortar from stray bullets scratched at the windows. Almost there.**

** **

**Without warning there was a loud, sharp _pop_ and Vincent's car skidded, fighting for purchase on the worn surface of the road. Seems one of the guys had got lucky and taken out a back tire. The car spun wildly as Vincent struggled for control, but was unsuccessful. The momentum carried the car down the road and straight into a nearby wall.**

** **

**Shaken and stunned, Vincent tried to make sense of his surroundings. Through some stupid stroke of luck the car had turned completely around and although the passenger side was crushed, his remained more or less unharmed. Believe it or not, the goddamn radio was still on. He'd hit his head against the door frame and things were spinning rather oddly, but all in all he'd been lucky. Or maybe Lee was watching over him. He hoped so. She'd said she would, after all.**

** **

**As quickly as possible he retrieved his Glock from where it had fallen between the seats. He smelled petrol. Wiser to get out and run. But where was the BMW?**

** **

**They'd stopped at a safe distance and were getting out of the car, presumably waiting for Vincent to show himself. But they obviously weren't expecting him to move any time soon, since only one of the four was looking his way at the moment. Heh, well, die quick now or slow later, right?**

** **

**Throwing open the door so hard it bounced on its hinges, Vincent leapt out of his crippled vehicle and sprinted for the sanctuary of an adjacent alley, at the same time getting off a few shots from his Glock. Amazingly enough, one of them found its target. The guy was flung against the car by the force of the shot, a trail of red marring the black polished metal as he slid to the ground. Now they were returning fire with interest, sprays of bullets screaming past his head and ricocheting off Vincent's already totalled car. He dropped at once and rolled into the dingy laneway, heart pounding in his ears. The fact that it was still intact to do so was nothing short of amazing, but he didn't question his good fortune. Rising with practiced ease, he knocked over a stack of boxes down one end of the alley and sprinted in the other direction. Might as well confuse them a little.**

** **

**Over the hammering in his head and the regular _thump_ of his shoes on the dirty concrete, he heard the fading sounds of shouts and gunfire as his pursuers fell for his ruse. A grim smile touched his lips and he ran faster, lengthening his stride in an attempt to put as much distance and as many twisting, turning alleyways between him and the Lawmakers as possible. Graffiti-covered walls flew by in an anonymous blur. He didn't really know where he was going. He didn't really care.**

** **

**The next turn took him to a dead end and Vincent finally stopped, leaning his left hand against a wall for support. He touched his hand to his still-throbbing head and saw blood staining his skin, but nothing too serious. Vincent tried to slow his breathing, ears pricked for any signs of trouble. He heard nothing. Then it struck him how odd that was. He should be close to Main Street by now, able to hear the roar of passing traffic, blasting horns, backbeats from car stereos. Not silence like this. Silence was wrong.**

** **

**Damn, he didn't know every laneway of this fucking city, it wasn't even his sector. No matter. He'd get out, find Main Street and call Leong. He really had to get himself a PHS. Takimoto might provide him with one, temporarily. Or maybe he'd catch a bus or something, he had change. Heh. Considerably more than change. He could buy himself a bus.**

** **

**He wondered idly what Lee would do now. His "big sister". He pictured her there, propped against the wall, probably with her ubiquitous shades in place, short dark hair tousled, blue highlights catching the dim light. Oh, and a .357 Magnum in hand. Maybe not the best role model a kid could have, but nobody was perfect. **

** **

**(~*~)**

**_go lightly down your darkened way_**

**_go lightly underground_**

**_i'll be down there in another day_**

**_i won't rest until you're found_**

**"ground beneath her feet"**

**u2******

**(~*~)**

** **

**Lee. Her real name had been Li Ka Ieng, but nobody could pronounce it, let alone spell it, so she took her mother's surname and called herself Lee Taylor. He remembered her so well. He'd been eight when his parents died, an only child with no hope of surviving in a world where the weak were the first to fall. And for some reason, or maybe for no reason at all, an eighteen year old half-Wutainese girl had decided to help him out.**

** **

**Admittedly he was a help to her, too. A girl with a kid tagging around after her looked a lot less suspicious than a girl on her own. She needed that. Lee was a Mamushi, a member of the most powerful gang in Midgar at the time and therefore the one that got the most attention from the cops. She'd never tried to hide them from him, or pass them off as "some friends". Whenever possible she'd tell him exactly what was going on, withholding information only when it might endanger him to hear it. She never treated him like a kid. So he respected her, admired her, trusted her.**

** **

**Lee taught him how to fight, how to drive when he could reach the pedals, how to cause a distraction and enable her to lift money or food or cigarettes. How to shoot, when he was old enough, but he had a natural talent and could soon handle a gun better than she could. She had no qualms about teaching him to pick locks or hot-wire a car. By the time he was twelve he sometimes went with her on "business".He shot some thug clean through the head to help out one of Lee's friends and was surprised at how little he cared. One night she'd been hurt and he'd shot his way out of the warehouse they'd been holed up in, dumped her in someone's car and high-tailed it back to Sector Six with her coughing up blood in the back seat. He was thirteen.**

** **

**Yeah, they'd had some good times.**

** **

**When Vincent was sixteen, things had changed and the Mamushi were on their way down. A few gangs had even joined together with the sole purpose of taking them out. Those few weeks were among the worst in Vincent's life, right up there with the days after his parents had died before Lee found him. Her Shinra contact who normally supplied her with weapons had been alternately threatened and bribed until he refused to even acknowledge that he knew her. Vincent, Lee, Lee's main man Takashi and the few remaining survivors of the relentless raids and ambushes were hiding out in Lee's flat until things died down. Little food and less sleep. Finally they'd tried to slip out one night, aiming for the docks and the next ship to Costa del Sol. It was a good plan, and it would have worked if one of the guys hadn't got scared and sold it out to the Lawmakers in exchange for his life. Which was a joke, seeing as they killed him too.**

** **

**Him, and Yasunari, and Lei Ming and Asha and Solen and Callahan and West and Sayuri. . . people he'd grown up with. And Lee. She took ten of them out with her, would have been more if she hadn't run out of ammo and been left with nothing but her knives. Vincent, Takashi and a girl called Zai were the only ones he knew of who'd made it out alive by climbing across the roof and running like hell. **

** **

**The rest was history, as they say. By then he was old enough and experienced enough, thanks to Lee's training, to make it alone. He and Takashi stuck together for a while afterwards, but eventually went their separate ways. After the remainder of the Mamushi were wiped out the Lawmakers began their ascension to glory and things had been good for them since then. Until Leong and the guys were sent to end their reign. Heh. No-one screwed with Takimoto and his boys.**

** **

**He had to get out of here, call Leong or someone. Things must have died down by now. Refilling the clip in his Glock, he left the blind alley and headed in what he hoped was the direction of Main Street, keeping to the walls like a shadow. There were a hundred exits from Sector Four's network of alleyways and back streets, no-one could cover them all. If his luck held he'd be at Takimoto's by twelve.**

** **

**(~*~)**

** **

**He chose a passage at random, smiling as he saw light up ahead. He'd had a rather shitty twelve hours and getting paid just might help to dispel some of that. Maybe a bonus, too, that'd be nice. He'd long suspected Takimoto wanted him to stay on permanently and for once didn't immediately discard the idea. After this his anonymity was as good as gone anyway.**

** **

**The light was blocked for an instant, and the sharp crack of gunfire mingled with the whistle of a nearby bullet, too close for comfort. More followed, embedding themselves in brick and mortar or ricocheting off the walls. The stones shattered under the force of the shells, shrapnel stinging the back of Vincent's hand which he'd flung up reflexively to protect his eyes.**

** **

**Ah, that was the problem with relying on luck.**

** **

**Vincent dimly heard the guy call for his friends and ducked back around the corner, swearing blue fire. He didn't know this area, it'd be too easy to run into a trap if he went back through the alleys. New plan. The remains of what was probably once a fire escape caught his eye and he caught both hands around its base, using the same tactic that had saved his ass the night Lee died. The Lawmakers rounded the corner just as his fingers reached the roof but they hadn't looked up yet, and he swung over onto the sloping surface. A convenient heap of spare tiles gave him another idea and he threw the lot over the edge, hearing shouts as they smashed on the ground below and hopefully on the heads of anyone foolish enough to try and climb up after him. This accomplished, he climbed over the ridge and ran like hell, keeping the other side of the slope between him and the gunmen.**

** **

**He drew his Glock again and jumped the gap to the next building, almost slipping as he landed and grabbing at the tiles for support. Only two left and they fell quickly, one easy shot each from his high vantage point. Grabbing onto the gutter at the edge of the roof, he found a foothold on a windowsill and jumped from there, taking the shock in the legs and rising almost instantly to a run.**

** **

**Out of the alleys at last, Vincent decided to head for the motel up the road and use their phone to call Takimoto's. Leong would be wondering where he was, since it wasn't like him to oversleep. If Leong was still alive, that is. They'd probably sent people after him, too. The fact that he was now in the same class as Leong meant he'd been too long with Takimoto, people were making connections. Maybe he'd stay. He'd work it out later. **

** **

**"Son of a bitch."**

** **

**The sudden cold barrel of a gun against his back. **

** **

**So there wasn't going to be a 'later'.**

** **

**"Midori! Hey Midori, we found the bastard. . ."**

** **

**They'd had backup, he should have expected it. He wondered if this was how Lee had felt when her clip ran out in that nameless alley in Sector Seven- clear-headed, with only a sense of inevitability. Broad daylight, or as broad as it got in these godforsaken slums anyway, but nobody would risk their life by calling the police. So he had to hope the Cosmo Canyon guys were right and he'd see her in the Lifestream. Maybe his parents, too. Heh. That'd be weird, it'd been thirteen years since he last saw them. They wouldn't recognise him, or what he had become.**

** **

**"He told us to leave you alive if we could. . ." came the voice in his ear again. "But you killed Toshio, ya fucker, I'm not gonna let you get away. So don't cry, Valentine. This was an accident."**

** **

**See ya, Lee.**

** **

**He heard a shot.**

** **

**"Valentine!"**

** **

**Behind him, the Lawmaker guy hit the ground, blood spraying the back of Vincent's coat. He turned, upraised Glock ready to fire, only to see the late thug's assistant standing at the entrance to the alley.**

** **

**Akira.**

** **

**"Vince-!"**

** **

**She dived to one side as the bullet aimed for her head screamed away down the lane, followed closely by another.**

** **

**"Vincent-"**

** **

**Something skimmed across the ground near his shoe and he looked down in surprise. A small silver handgun with "Peacemaker" engraved along the barrel. His eyes narrowed.**

** **

**She was crouched on the ground, eyes fixed on his face, hands raised and open in front of her. "Vincent, let me explain-"**

** **

**"You had time for that last night, I would have thought." Face blank, he raised his Glock one last time. "But a lot of people have died since then. Where's your 'explanation' for that."**

** **

**"You want an explanation?" She was angry, her voice shaking, but her eyes never left his. "Then you'll get one, although Takimoto will probably have me shot. Yeah, Takimoto. How do you think he got his information to strike at the Lawmakers? He had a spy. Midori Arai. Me. All the information goes through another guy, I wouldn't know Takimoto if I met him on the street much less anyone who worked for him. I knew they were after some people last night but I didn't know who because I wasn't involved, or I would have told you, I would have. . . I'd seen you before but I didn't know who you worked for, how could I? When Maria took that girl hostage I only wanted to distract her, I'd heard enough about you to know you could make a shot like that in your sleep and it wouldn't look suspicious to anyone else, only like I made a mistake. . . They wanted to keep me in the dark about everything in case I got caught, I only see this guy about every two weeks to get my money and give him information, so believe me or shoot me if you don't but for God's sake get out of here, Vincent, they'll kill you sooner or later, you can't keep running. . ."**

** **

**She broke off, clenched her fists briefly as if to control herself, and looked up into his eyes as if waiting for an answer. His cool brown eyes held hers for some time.**

** **

**As if coming to a decision, he kicked her small silver handgun away from him, back in her direction. It scuffed up a puff of dust as it flew, dust which had ample time to settle in the air before he turned and walked away without another word.**

** **

**(~*~)**

**_and if the darkness is to keep us apart_**

**_and if the daylight feels like it's a long way off_**

**_and if your glass heart should crack and for a second you turn back_**

**_oh no, be strong_**

**_leave it behind_**

**_you've got to leave it behind_******

**"walk on"**

**u2**

** **

**(~*~)**

** **


	2. all stories are love stories- part 2

all stories are love stories

part 2

Xiao: Hmm. That which was originally going to be a one-part fic became a two part fic... and now it's going to be a three part fic. Anyway, enough from me, back to Vincent.

_they say that what you mock will surely overtake you_

_and you become a monster, so the monster will not break you_

_it's already gone too far_

_who said that if you go in hard you won't get hurt_

"peace on earth"

u2

(~*~)

Vincent walked.

He probably could have called Leong or Takimoto's base, a public line wasn't likely to be tapped. But after these past few hours he had to be more than a little paranoid. Besides, it was only about a k and a half away, and he needed time to think.

So he walked.

His every instinct told him that Akira hadn't been lying, and his instincts were generally reliable. But if that was the case, she could be in serious trouble. There was no way she could hide the fact that she was the only one left alive out of a posse of at least seven. Any witnesses to the shootout at the bar might put two and two together. 

Well, that was her problem, wasn't it? He hadn't done anything wrong, and he was even more likely to be rewarded when Takimoto heard about the morning's events. It was none of his concern.

So there was no need to remember her smile, or the casual flick of her hand through her hair, or the graceful way she moved. He didn't need to keep seeing those dark eyes in his mind, or hear her slightly Wutainese-accented voice begging him to run for his life. She could just get the fuck out of his head. She wasn't his responsibility.

He brushed a hand over his eyes, as though he could physically dispel the memories that plagued him, and turned off Main Street down a smaller avenue. He'd be at the base in fifteen minutes. He was the best assassin in this godforsaken excuse for a city and he wasn't going to let a few trivial personal issues affect his infamous professional attitude. With an effort, he pushed the image of Akira away and concentrated on keeping it there.

(~*~)

_you're out of luck and the reason that you had to care_

_the traffic is stuck and you're not moving anywhere_

_you thought you'd found a friend to take you out of this place_

_someone you could lend a hand in return for grace_

_the sky falls and you feel like it's a beautiful day_

"beautiful day"

u2

(~*~)

Takimoto's base was ostensibly just another slightly run-down old house that looked pretty much the same as the two on either side. Except that Vincent knew the dirty glass was bulletproof,  and the "garage" was soundproofed and didn't hold cars. Guards posing as bystanders were posted up and down the street to check on anyone who might be getting too close. They knew Vincent, though, and let him pass with no more than a cursory glance.

Inside it was a different story. The furnishings were nicer than you generally saw in this part of Midgar, kind of an Old Junon style. The great man's personal team of hackers did business from the rooms to his right, keeping tabs on his enemies with bugs and satellites, but they weren't around much. Vincent had never been down the other end of the house near the garage. He'd heard stories, though. Glaring electric light and cold, bloodstained concrete. People who'd been taken in for "questioning" and not seen since. Weapons and other gear were stored upstairs, in the rooms near Takimoto's office- and a few choice items in the office itself, close to hand. Neat.

The stairs squeaked and groaned like hell unless you knew just how to walk on them. This was purely intentional, he suspected. But being naturally light on his feet, Vincent made his way up the stairs with the minimum of noise.

Voices from behind the closed door. Leong, perhaps? No, it didn't sound like him. Well, Vincent didn't claim to know all of Takimoto's many associates, and he wasn't about to be shot for overhearing something that didn't concern him. He'd wait downstairs.

As soon as he reached the ground floor, the voices became clearer. The heavy old door had been opened. He heard footsteps and Takimoto's familiar, smoke-thickened chuckle. Then a figure stepped out on to the landing.

_Ryu_?

Vincent stared. He and Leong had left Ryu for dead last night (had it only been last night?), but he seemed to be well and uninjured. He'd never had anything against Ryu, he quite liked the guy, but something made Vincent take two silent steps back until he was standing concealed in the doorway to one of the hackers' "offices".

"Well, you never can tell, eh?" Takimoto's voice seemed good-natured enough, but there was an undercurrent of steel behind it that made Vincent retreat further into the doorway. "It's the loyal ones that surprise you. And he seemed like such a sensible boy. Full of promise. If you hadn't called me this morning I would have asked him to stay on permanently."

Vincent's eyes narrowed.

"The girl was an excellent source of information, but she'll have to go too," Takimoto continued, as casually as if he was discussing the weather. "Amazing. Last night the world was at my feet, today I have Martinez breathing down my neck. And all because these two decided to pursue their affair in plain sight." He shook his head.

Ryu nodded, starting down the stairs. Vincent noticed that he did move rather awkwardly, holding his left arm stiff and leaning heavily on the banister with his right. "He did manage to get rid of most of the Lawmakers, though." He winced as the stairs creaked.

"Ah, but you've said it, Mr Asano. _Most_ of them. Enough were left to put two and two together. A rookie Lawmaker meets a young gunman in a bar, greets him like an old friend, then later puts herself in danger for him, blows her own cover and gets several more of her friends killed- there were enough of them left to be suspicious. To investigate her background and find it a hasty fabrication. To ask some questions, and receive answers. Why, the young man works for Takimoto. Many of their members have recently been killed- in ambushes, by men working for Takimoto. So a great deal of information has recently been leaked- to Takimoto. An interesting coincidence, yes? In a situation like this, Mr Asano, one left is one too many."

Ryu shrugged. "So?"

"So Valentine dies," Takimoto said dismissively. "A shame, but there you are. Saito too, if she hasn't already been caught and questioned. I want them both before tonight."

"Consider it done-" Ryu winced again, and placed a hand over his chest.

"No, no, you should rest," Takimoto said heartily. "I'll have Damian and the others take care of it. You're a lucky man, Mr Asano, don't tempt fate again."

"I want to be there," Ryu said with sudden vehemence. "His carelessness got Mac and Harding killed. He's not going to walk free after that." He reached the bottom of the stairs.

"Thanks to you, Mr Asano, he won't."

Ryu grinned somewhat wolfishly. "Thankyou, sir." He left, closing the door behind him.

(~*~)

Vincent heard the door to Takimoto's office close also, and the man's voice behind it- he seemed to be talking on the phone, although his words were once more indistinct. He felt sick. The Lawmakers had drawn the right conclusion from the wrong information, and Vincent and Akira would have to pay the price. Takimoto would eliminate two unwanted agents, prevent the Lawmakers from getting more information and allow Ryu to have his revenge. A coldly logical man, was Takimoto.

Akira. . . Vincent felt a rush of confused emotion at the memory of her face. She had saved his life twice, and put her own in permanent danger. He didn't want to think about why she might have done it. But he knew what he had to do now.

Vincent turned and surveyed the office. The screens of three state-of-the-art PCs looked back at him. This was a place which Takimoto knew nobody but his employees could enter. A safe place for Takimoto's hackers to work- a place where you might store files, or personnel data. . . 

It booted up fast. He brought up the search window and typed in "Valentine". One file was found. A photo of him, his name, current address, phone number. The car he drove (or more correctly, the car that was a bullet-ridden wreck in a back alley a few ks away). Height and weight. A bit about the Mamushi and Lee, though he'd never told anyone. Everything, even his goddamned shoe size, and he wasn't an official member.

Back to the search window.  "Saito". He found nothing. He tried "Akira" and found no results. Had they already wiped the files, in case the Lawmakers hacked the system? But- he checked the cables- the machine wasn't linked to a network. Nobody could access it, unless they were here in this room. So why-?

Of course. Shaking his head at his own stupidity, he typed in "Arai".

She lived in an apartment block, like him, only hers was on the ground floor and a bit nicer than his. Sector 4, like she said. Picking up a pen, he scribbled the address on the back of his hand and shut the computer down. He would have left traces, of which documents he'd opened and what he'd done, but that couldn't be helped. For a moment he considered trashing the whole system, but dismissed the idea. They'd have some kind of backup, even if the stuff wasn't safeguarded, and this way nobody would know there was anything wrong until they checked. 

Silently, he opened the door, checked up and down the street and hurried out of the house. One of the guards, a young blonde woman pushing a pram, smiled at him- oblivious to the fact that Takimoto wanted him dead. _Sloppy planning, Ryu,_ he thought, smiling to himself. _Not good enough._

In another ten minutes or so he was back on Main Street. It was busy now, people passed him by without a second glance. He noticed a bus heading down the street and ran for the bus stop. Apart from the slight curiosity value of a man running after a bus, nobody paid him any attention. He couldn't help wondering what they'd do, if they knew who he was- and who was after him.

The streets of Midgar passed him by in a blur, faceless people going about their lives, struggling to make ends meet. Rain had started to fall, and the skies were grey and dull with their burden of clouds. Rivulets of water streamed over the window, distorting Vincent's view of the passers-by. And, of course, making it quite impossible for them to see inside. He was anonymous, unremarkable. Safe. For now.

(~*~)

_you're packing a suitcase for a place none of us has been_

_you could have flown away_

_a singing bird in an open cage_

_home. . . hard to know what it is_

_if you've never had one_

"walk on"

u2

(~*~)

_. . . have to leave the PHS behind. . ._

The kettle whistled shrilly, bringing her out of her thoughts. Akira ignored it and continued packing. 

_. . .probably should buy some new stuff, cut my hair. I'm too well known around here. . . _

She stuffed a black jacket into the small suitcase anyway.

_. . .I don't know what's wrong with me. I've only met him once, not like he's my best friend. And they'll probably catch up with him sooner or later. If they haven't already. I should have just let Langton finish him and kept my head down. . ._

Akira opened a drawer and shoved the false floor aside, revealing a compartment full of various weapons and ammunition. She began packing that too, absently clicking the kettle on again. She hated lukewarm coffee.

_. . .So you've ruined your life for a man you hardly know, who's probably going to die soon anyway. And you with him. There were three or four others with Langton, they're bound to get suspicious. It's only a matter of time. . .___

The doorbell sounded throughout the apartment. 

Akira froze.

It rang again, longer and more insistently, and was followed by a few sharp raps on the front door. Akira slipped the Peacemaker from her inside pocket, drawing a small measure of comfort from its familiar weight, the cold metal against her skin. She walked quietly, cat-like, down the corridor, wondering distractedly how many of them there'd be, and how many she'd take out before they killed her. She'd give better than she got, she always had. She hadn't thought they'd bother to knock.

She stopped before she reached the door, taking a breath to steady herself, and raised the Peacemaker for what she assumed was the last time. There was a louder knock at the door, and the sound of a familiar voice calling her name.

Akira nearly dropped the gun.

"Valentine?"

(~*~)

He was pale, bloodstained, dripping wet and slightly out of breath. He was also alone. He stepped into the apartment without word or invitation, but stopped short when he saw the gun still pointed at his head.

"They're coming," he said flatly. "The Lawmakers saw you with me and figured you were working for Takimoto. He knows what happened and wants us both dead. If you want to stay alive, leave Midgar."

"I'd planned on that. . ." She holstered the Peacemaker and started to walk back towards the kitchen, making a follow-me motion with the other hand. "If they look into it, they'll be able to see who killed Langton."

Vincent nodded. "And you let me get away." 

There was a question implied there, but she ignored it. "So now I have Takimoto on my ass too. Great." 

Vincent slammed his hand down onto the bench. "Level with me, Saito. Why?" 

"Why are you here?" she replied softly.

He looked away. "I'm repaying a debt."

"Is that right. Well, you could have been out of the city an hour ago. You're just putting your own life in danger. Again."

"So we're even," he said, quietly.

"I- " 

The kettle whistled again. 

"You, er, want a coffee?"

He shrugged. "Okay."

"I only have instant." 

"I'm really past caring at the moment." He smiled. A small smile, but it was there. She found herself returning it.

(~*~)

"So where will you go?" Vincent asked, taking a swig of coffee.

Akira started to zip up her bag. "Probably wait until dark, then head for the coast and the docks. Maybe Costa del Sol, at least for a while. How about you?"

"I'm not going to leave Midgar."

She raised an eyebrow.

"I'm going to Shinra."

She stopped what she was doing and turned to face him, as if interested. "Shinra?"

"They protect their employees. Especially the Turks. If you mess with a Turk or a SOLDIER, you mess with the whole Shinra, Incorporated. I knew someone once- "

Vincent stopped. He'd been about to tell her about Lee, a secret he'd kept since her death. Lee, and her dreams of getting out of the slums onto the plate. She could have made it, if not in the Turks then definitely in SOLDIER. He vividly remembered her face, smiling as she talked enviously of their skill, their power, their money, the respect they commanded. She'd spoken about it the night before she died, repeating the words to herself as much as to him.

_"Hey Lee- everything clear for tonight?"_

_"Sure it is, Vince, stop worrying already."_

_"Yeah, you're right. . ."_

_*a smile* "Why so uptight?"_

_"No reason."_

_"Lighten up, Vince. We'll be fine. We gotta be fine. We gotta get to Shinra, right?"_

_"Right." _

_"You and me, ya know? We're gonna be Turks. You're going to be the youngest ever to get in, thought about that? And I'm gonna be the first girl. They gotta take good care of us."_

_"Solen wants to be in SOLDIER."_

_"Really? He never told me that. . . hey, that means you're going to be telling him what to do all the time."_

_"Yeah, that'll happen."_

_"I reckon it will."_

_. . ._

_"Vince?"_

_"Yeah, what?"_

_"When we go tonight- you watch your back, okay?"_

_"I always do."_

_"I know."_

_. . ._

_"You too."_

_"Yeah, whatever."_

_. . ._

Vincent felt like he owed it to her, to take his chance, since hers had never come.

Akira was looking at him expectantly. "You knew someone who what?"

Ah, what harm could it do. "Someone who used to want to work for Shinra."

"Any reason?"

"Money. Power. The usual."

"Ah, right."

" . . .And she was really big on honour, you know, honour and revenge. They all watch out for each other, the Turks. It's like a family."

"Yeah, I've heard something like that."

"So that's where I'm going."

"Takimoto has connections. It's true that once you're in, you're protected, but if Takimoto gets there before you and waves some gil around they'll happily hand him your head. On a platter."

"Not if he's dead." 

He had her full attention now. "You won't just leave Midgar, I assume."

"No."

"Then that's the best solution."

"You mean- "

"We'll have to strike soon. Before he has a chance to go to Shinra, or before anyone finds us. Only employees know exactly how to find him, and that's made him careless. He's too sure of himself."

"The computers aren't even locked with passwords. He just assumes no-one will make it past the guards."

She grinned wolfishly. "Right. We have an advantage."

He raised an eyebrow. "You think so?"

"Security's important to him, but he's been a little too well protected for too long. He's getting careless, making mistakes. Whereas we have to cover our own tracks all the time, so we know how things work. Plus we know where he is, but he doesn't know exactly where we are, or that we'd be insane enough to go after him."

"So you're going to help."

 "It's my life on the line as well as yours, Valentine. I got myself into this, and I have my own agenda. Don't go thinking you have to protect me."

 "I wasn't."

She smiled again, the same smile that had caught his eye across a crowded room. "Good." 

 (~*~)

 "So while everyone's out looking for us-" 

 "We do the last thing they expect us to do. Go back. We ice Takimoto and anyone else who gets in our way, trash the base and pick up a courtesy car while we're at it." Vincent looked around, noticing how dark it was. It was still early afternoon, but the sun cast only a weak ray of grey daylight through the haze of pollution and rain-streaked windows. Then again, he wasn't on the plate yet.

 "Courtesy car." Akira laughed. "Then we backtrack a little, get on the train, and we're outta here."

He looked at her sharply. "We? Are we going together?"

_Shit._

That had sounded wrong- too questioning, even pleading. He regretted the words, wanted to take them back the moment he'd said them. Like he was asking her permission to tag along. _Hey, Akira, I'm afraid of the dark, I'm worried the monsters in the night might get me. I'll be too scared without you._

 "Well, obviously, the logical answer is no," she replied coolly. "After all, two people together- easier to remember, harder to hide. It's impractical."

He looked away. Of course. It made sense, he'd been expecting that. He told himself he'd been expecting that. He knew she was right. Wasn't like he needed her, or anything. Or anyone.

_Heh. Who are you fooling, Valentine? Not her. And definitely not yourself._

He hazarded a glance at Akira. Her eyes were still on his face, her expression vaguely self-deprecating. She opened her mouth, then closed it again, seemingly summoning the courage for-

 "-But my answer is yes." 

Vincent stared. 

 "Because I'm a sentimental idiot." She smiled wryly, and looked at the floor. "It's one of the few things I like about myself."

 "Yeah, well," Vincent said softly, "it's one of the things I like about you too."

Akira looked up then, but still didn't meet his eyes. There was a silence, but not an uncomfortable one, broken only by the soft sound of rain against the glass.

She turned towards him, smile still on her lips, and Vincent was suddenly very conscious of just how close she was- just a few steps away, a distance which could be closed in a moment. A glow from the window behind him shone faintly on to her face, making it stand out from the shadows as if lit by an inner radiance.

Suddenly her gaze shifted, focused on a point behind him. The window. The light. The double beam of car headlights distorted by the streaked glass. The muted purr of engines slowing to a halt.

Her eyes widened slightly, holding his. She turned, fingers an inch above her gun. Men's voices outside, near the door, the clink of metal on metal. His own gun was drawn in an instant. She was picking up the bag she'd packed. For an instant he didn't understand. But he saw her dark eyes narrow as she swung the bag at the window, saw it arc brightly in the glow from the headlights, heard the crack of breaking glass loud in the silence. Not loud enough to drown out shouts from outside. He knew in the back of his mind that if they were careless enough to shout then there wasn't much time, but he still threw himself through the jagged hole even though his jacket tore on the shards of glass and he dropped and rolled, hard on the concrete, and he was on his feet and running but he couldn't see Akira and he looked over his shoulder, she was sprinting after him but bleeding and he turned to her, saw her eyes bright in the darkness, and suddenly everything was bright and yellow-hot and blaring with sound, glass panes cracking and metal buckling and pieces of stone carried through the air on the fierce wind and the noise of someone far away screaming until something knocked him off his feet, and he fell, and night fell and it was dark and quiet.

 (~*~)

Not all quiet. The faint noise of rain penetrated his consciousness and he opened his eyes with difficulty. For a few heart-stopping seconds he couldn't remember who or where he was. He tried to raise a hand and found he couldn't, feeling another jolt of terror. Then reason took over. He'd been with Akira and they'd been running from some kind of explosion. The right side of his face stung like hell, his head was bleeding and he felt like he'd been beaten with a hammer, but nothing seemed broken. On the other hand, he couldn't move or see for shit, which suggested that he was trapped underneath something.

He tried to move his arm again, putting more force behind it, and felt something slide. He touched what felt like a section of wall. God, he was buried under the whole fucking building. Panic threatened to rise again and he fought it every way he knew how. He could still hear the rain. He couldn't be too far from the surface. He raised his hands, freeing them from between wood and plaster and sheared metal, snagging his skin on a shard of glass. Nothing. Not even enough room to move, to try and push himself out. Just a small, dark, airless space. . .

It was like being trapped in a coffin.

He clamped his right hand over his left, containing the urge to beat the hell out of whatever was above him in an attempt to free himself. Perhaps being crushed to death was a more pleasant alternative to suffocation, but he'd rather not find out the hard way. He struck out to the side, hearing the slide of dislodged debris. Something overhead tilted dangerously and he froze, mentally damning his carelessness. 

But suddenly there was light, wan and grey, but there. He never thought he'd be so relieved to feel Midgar air on his skin. Water trickled into his eyes and he blinked. Then fully half of the wreckage was gone, sliding back with an unwilling screech, falling to the ground. Akira was standing over him.

Her hair was singed, her clothes blackened, she was bloodstained and muddy and soaked to the skin. Her face was blank, as though she was stunned. She slowly lifted a hand, extended it. Muscles protesting at the sudden movement, Vincent sat up and clasped it in his, wordlessly allowing her to help him to his feet.

A fresh breeze, surprisingly cool, stirred the dust on the ground between them, fanned the dying flames that still survived at the heart of the wreckage. Beads of light rain settled in his hair. He didn't notice. Everything was background to her, pale skin, soft dark eyes. Her hair was plastered to her head, strands of ebony curling slightly on her cheeks. Her clothes clung to her under her battered jacket, offering little protection from the wind. 

He smiled. His voice was rough with smoke. "That's another one I owe you."

Akira took a short, shaky breath, smiling in return, relief and sadness and pain and sheer exhaustion written clear in the lines of her lips. In her eyes. The touch of her hand was cool against his. She stepped forward, closing the remaining distance between them. Her fingers shook slightly as they laced through his hair, drawing his lips to hers. He wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her closer, pressing her against him as if to transfer the warmth of his body to hers, protect her from the relentless rain. The drops fell heavier now, beating on the smoke-blackened concrete, washing ash and plaster dust from the rubble. Fucking Midgar weather.

Vincent pressed his face against her hair, folding his heavy coat around her and absently wondering what in hell they were going to do now. She had nothing but her gun and the clothes on her back, and there was no way he would risk going home. Both of them were tired, battered, cold, and generally in no state to take on Takimoto's posse. And Vincent doubted if there was anyone left in the city who'd be willing to-

He blinked. It was a slim chance. But it certainly beat no chance at all.

Leong.

(~*~)

_in a little while, surely you'll be mine_

_in a little while i'll be there_

_in a little while, this hurt will hurt no more_

_i'll be home _

_when the night takes a deep breath_

_and the daylight has no air_

_if i crawl, if i come crawling home_

_will you be there_

"in a little while"

u2

Xiao: Not being of a romantic disposition... this was hell to write. Yes. Part three is in the works. I'm serious, I really appreciate reviews... whether you liked it, loved it, or want to string me up by my ankles. 

(~*~)


End file.
